Step By Step
by Usami
Summary: No one ever questioned how Batman worked. Though he kept his distance, he was always there when they needed him. But when creatures from a dimensional rip use the Dark Knight as one of their experiments, the others slowly learn more about him.
1. Prologue

This is my first **Justice League** story. I was never really into the **Justice League**, but a friend of mine got me started watching it. Whether I'll write more or not, I don't know, but that decision will come later. Anyway, here is my first one, though I kind of wish **Justice League** had its own category. But that's beyond the point. I don't own this show, but if I did, new episodes would be out by now.

**Step By Step**

The fog had seemed to settle from nowhere. A once clear, starry evening was now covered by a thick, dense haze.

But the one passenger sailing in his miniature ship either didn't notice, or he didn't care. He continued to sail along the breezy, chilly waters along the coast of Florida. He was pretty far out at sea. Even if the fog hadn't been there, and it was in the middle of the day, he still wouldn't have seen any land.

He was a sea's man by nature, as his father had been before him. He wasn't worried, for he knew where he was.

The only reason there was a cause for concern in him was the fog. It wasn't uncommon for fog to settle in. However, he couldn't shake the eerie feeling that settled along with the cool mist.

Suddenly, seemingly from out of nowhere, he heard voices. They were barely audible, though they seemed to increase their volume with every passing second.

"Who's there?" the lone sailor called out into the dark miasma.

The only response he received were the increasing whispers around him. Straining slightly, he could barely make out what they were saying.

"We are finally free…We are finally free…"

That was all they said, as they repeated those four words several times. With the increase of volume, the ocean waters seemed to stir.

"We are finally free…_We are finally free_…"

The louder the mantra, the more violent the sea arose.

"_We are finally free_…_We are finally free_…"

It took the sailor everything he had to just hold on to the boat as the seas became rougher, tossing his vessel around the ocean. Water splashed around him, drenching him, spilling into his boat.

"_We are finally free_…_We are finally FREE_!!"

And suddenly, as the voices ceased, the waters became calm again. They settled down, and the craft swayed slowly, until reaching to a halt.

The sailor slowly opened his eyes, and as he did so, noticed the strange green glow several feet away from him. Even in the thick vapor, the jade aura shone brightly.

It suddenly shot towards him, ramming through his boat. The tiny ship began to take on water, and started to sink.

The sailor cried out, knowing that his cries will never be heard. Looking up, the green glow seemed to settle over him, slowly fading and revealing a figure.

The man's eyes widened, before succumbing to the darkness.

* * *

Batman's fingers moved swiftly as his eyes gazed through the wires and coils of the bomb he was trying to defuse. Behind him, J'onn and Flash were busy handling the robbers that had set the alarm in the Watchtower to begin with.

It was easy enough for one person in the Justice League to handle a some criminals trying to rob a bank. Depending on who the person was, maybe another person was needed for back-up. It was easy for three people to handle those same robbers with a time bomb to worry about.

It was a little more difficult when the robbers decided to have hostages.

The civilians that the robbers were keeping hostage had been carefully hidden away, just in case the Justice League had tried to stop them. When they had triggered the bomb and destroyed the control, it only gave the League 5 minutes to find them. Batman was trying everything in his power to defuse the bomb, for if something was done wrong, it would set off prematurely. That left Superman, J'onn, and Flash to dispose of the criminals and find the hostages.

Of course, it would have been easier if Superman wasn't combing the whole building to find where the hostages were being kept.

The Dark Knight heard as the last robber had been knocked out. "Well, that was fun," Flash said sarcastically.

"Batman?" J'onn asked.

He didn't need the Martian's telepathy to understand what he was asking about. "I haven't defused it yet," he replied. "There's only a minute left."

Superman suddenly flew in, carrying two unconscious men, one under his arm, and one over his shoulder. "The other hostages are already outside with the police."

Looking at the clock on the bomb, Batman turned to look at the others, surveying the number of criminals robbers there were.

"How much time do we have?" the Man of Steel asked.

"Not much." He turned back to the bomb, his fingers once again messing with the wires. "Get those people out of here."

The other three could tell by the normal tone in his voice that that was more of a command than anything.

"There's no time to stand around. Get going."

The calm in Batman's voice didn't hide the forceful tone. They knew better than to argue with him at this point.

The black masked fighter heard them as they went about what they were supposed to do, then felt his cape flutter as the wind Flash created as he ran rushed past him. He could feel J'onn and Superman fly away, exiting the large building.

He growled in frustration as he continued to tinker with the ticking bomb. He was normally very gifted when it came to things such as these. But lately, he found it very hard to concentrate on anything, though he never let the others know that.

There wasn't much time. The bomb would go off in 20 seconds.

* * *

The police watched gratefully as Superman, Flash, and the Martian Manhunter came out of the building. Superman carried the two last hostages, along with some of the robbers, while Flash and the Martian Manhunter carried the other four.

Paramedics took the two civilians from the Man of Steel, as the cops took the delinquent bank robbers.

As soon as the lawbreakers were taken away, Flash made a double back to the bank, but it was too late.

An ear-splitting detonation was heard, as part of the bank exploded, and the entire building was set on fire, and began to collapse.

_TBC_

Well, what do you think? Please review, and let me know. Later!


	2. Chapter 1

_Hey there!_

_Disclaimers: I own **Justice League!!! Mwahahahaha!!!!! Okay**_............_So I don't……Yeah……_

_Enjoy!!_

            It wasn't just right to stand there. Flash and Superman knew that very well. After all, their friend was trapped inside the collapsing and burning building, and they knew that they had to help the Dark Knight. But for some reason, they found that they couldn't even move. Perhaps it was the shock that the bomb had gone off, with Batman still inside. 

            They could feel the heat from the fire, even with the distance between them and the building. The sound of a fire engine was heard coming down the street. As the firemen came out of the red truck, they remembered that their friend _was still trapped inside._

            Superman took a step towards the building, about to fly inside it, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at J'onn.

            "Wait," said the Martian Manhunter.

            "We have to get Batman," the Man of Steel argued.

            "He's no longer there."

            Flash, finally taking his sights off the burning bank, turned around to face the others. "Say what?" he asked

            Not answering, J'onn looked up at the building that stood to the right of the bank. Superman and Flash, noticing the direction of his gaze, followed where the Martian was looking. 

            Next to the bank stood what seemed to be an apartment building. On the roof of the building, even at that time of day, stood what appeared to be a shadowed figure, the long, black cape fluttering in the wind that the flames from the bank created.

            Superman and Flash let out a sigh of relief, though both wondered exactly _how Batman got out with so little time._

            The Man of Steel and the Martian Manhunter took to the air, as Flash ran up the side of the building, to meet with the Dark Knight.

            "Do you always have to pull a stunt like that?" Superman asked in a chastising tone. "You had us worried."

            Batman said nothing.

            "Well, that was close," Flash said, screeching to a halt. "I'm surprised you didn't singe your cape, Bats."

            Though you couldn't tell with the mask, one could imagine Batman rolling his eyes.

            "Are you alright?" J'onn asked.

            "I'm fine," came the bat's frank reply.

            "I suppose we should head back to the Watch Tower," Superman said. Looking at Batman, he asked, "Are you coming?"

            The Dark Knight shook his head. "I have some other things to do."

            Turning his back on them, he aimed his grappling gun straight up into the air, firing. The others watched as he rose into the air, up to the Bat Jet, that seemed to come from nowhere, and take off.

            "Was it wise to let him go off by himself?" J'onn asked.

            Flash scratched his head, wondering where exactly the Bat Jet came from. "Well, he said he was okay."

            "Why?" Superman asked. 

            J'onn, once again, didn't answer. Instead, he watched the Bat Jet with knowing, worried eyes.

            Batman carefully set the coordinates for the Bat-Cave into the computer of his jet, so the auto-pilot could take control. It was hard to do so with only one hand, and with his left hand as well. 

            Sighing, he leaned back into his chair, closing his eyes to ignore the pain in his right arm. He was lucky that his cape was long enough to cover his arm, otherwise the others would have noticed. 

            Of course, he figured J'onn would already know that he was injured.

            Opening his eyes, he pushed back the part of the cape covering his right shoulder. He looked at his charred, bleeding hand, flinching slightly at the new wave of pain being realized throughout his arm. It was worse than he thought it to be. Covering his arm with the cape again, he closed his eyes. He couldn't do anything about his arm until he got back to the Bat-Cave.

            In the Javelin 7, Superman set the coordinates of the ship to the Watch Tower. As it began to take off, however, a slight beeping sound was heard. 

            J'onn pressed the com-link button. "Javelin?" a female voice said. "This is the Watch Tower."

            "What's going on, Diana?" Superman asked.

            "There's a strange energy signature in the Atlantic Ocean. Do you think you can go and check it out?"

            "Sure. What are the coordinates?"

            "I'm sending them to the Javelin's computer right now…"

_TBC_

_Please review!_


	3. Chapter 2

Wow, it's been so long. School sucks up so much time. But now it's summer, and I can update!! Whee!! Okay, here's the next chapter.

* * *

Things were pretty quiet in the dark cave, besides the beeping of the main computer. Inside, Batman sat, tending to his injured hand. 

It wasn't as bad as he had thought it was. As he was bandaging his bleeding arm, he figured it would take a few weeks to heal completely.

Then again, he _was_ stubborn, and he had a knack for rationalizing his own mind into thinking his own injuries weren't that bad. If viewed by one of the others, treatment for his arm would have been a bit more than just bandaging it.

Not that they would notice anyway. The Dark Knight was very good at hiding things, especially pain.

The mask helped a bit, but it was mostly his attitude to the things they talked about. He stood behind his stoic wall, even when he could easily relate to whatever was being said.

He didn't mind that the others didn't know much about him, though he knew they wished to find out more. Of course, he wouldn't tell them. It wasn't much of their business anyway.

Though, even he had to admit it was a bit lonely sometimes…

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Time to step out of dangerous territory. After all, if he got close to them, it would have made it much harder to lose them. A rather negative thought, but with their line of profession, it was bound to happen.

That point was already proven when Superman "died". Though he had been upset, Batman wasn't as upset as the others. Besides, someone needed to keep a clear head.

Yes, perhaps it was much safer to keep some distance between himself and the others, no matter how lonely a life it was.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of his computer. Tying the bandage, he slipped his glove on before reaching out to press the button that allowed communication between him and whoever was on the Javelin.

The beeping stopped, and soon was replaced by a familiar voice. "Batman? Come in."

"What is it Flash?"

"Diana picked up some strange readings from the Tower, but we can't find anything."

"Well, where are you?"

There was a pause before Flash replied, "Would you believe we're at the Bermuda Triangle?"

Batman blinked, a little surprised by that answer, but set to work anyway. Setting the coordinates, he found, based on his computer readings, that there was a strange energy frequency in the form of a triangle.

But weren't all the stories of disappearing ships in that are just legends?

"Superman, J'onn, and GL are out investigating the area," Flash said. "Some fisherman said he lost his boat and something attacked him, so there checking it out."

"Couldn't go with them?" It was a serious question, though it sounded as if he were making fun of Flash.

"No," the quickster replied in an almost pouty tone. "I can't stay still t stay above water, but they're just investigating certain areas at a time…"

Batman nodded slightly, then looked back at the computer screen. There _was_ something strange going on…

"I'm on my way over," he said, turning off the communication line. Standing, he reached out to grab his utility belt with his injured hand when a sudden wave of pain shot out, causing him to stop. Wincing slightly, he pulled his hand back, rubbing it. Then, he reached for his belt again, ignoring the pain as he grabbed it and put it on.

Nothing has ever stopped him from doing what he had to do. Not if he could help it.

He was stubborn that way.

* * *

Flash watched from his seat on top of the Javelin as the Bat Jet descended, landing on the beach. As soon as it landed, Batman got out, making his way to the white ship.

"You're late," the quickster said with a grin. "I would've expected you earlier…"

Not replying to the comment, Batman said, "The people around here say the area seems to glow at night, and there are many strange things that happen."

"Like what?"

"People disappearing at night….many claim that at least one family member is missing……"

"What do you make of it?"

"Not sure, really…" Pulling out a scanner from his belt, Batman took a reading of the area, getting the same result as before. "I assume you know the legends of ships getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle?"

"Yeah…" Flash replied, a little unsure of where this was going.

Not answering, the Dark Knight simply put the scanner away. 'Could those be possibly be connected with this?' he asked himself.

Suddenly, the sound of voices reached his ears. Surprised, Batman looked around but saw no one.

Noticing this, Flash looked at the Dark Knight. "You okay?"

"Fine…" he replied. But the voices he heard wouldn't go away.

_He's the one?_

_Appears so…_

_Is he good enough?_

_One way to find out…_

_We should take him now!_

_But his friend…_

_So we take him out first…_

There was a flash of light, a beam of lightning followed and shot out at Flash, electrocuting him before he even saw it. He cried out as he fell to the ground.

"Flash!" Just as he bent down to help, the pain in Batman's arm shot through his body. He groaned, falling to his knees. The pain escalated, becoming too much for him, and he soon lost consciousness.

* * *

_Groggily, he opened his eyes, only to be partially blinded by a bright light. Groaning, he found that he couldn't move. He also found that he didn't care at all._

_Two shadows hovered over him, but he couldn't make out who they were because of the blinding light above him._

This one is a fine specimen indeed, _said one._ Much better than the other subjects we had captured before.

So it appears, _said the other, looking at his comrade._ But we must be certain of it first…

How should we go about it?

Let us run a test…

_He barely felt as one of the shadows picked his arm up, removing the glove and bandage that covered his wound._

You plan on putting that in his body? What good will that do?

Not much…here…

You don't mean…!

I do…but only for a while…to study him…

The others won't like it…

If this is the perfect specimen, then a while won't matter…If it is not, then they will thank me for saving all the time and experiments on it. Either way, this is for the best…

_With a small groan, he closed his eyes again._

* * *

"Batman?" a soft familiar voice called to him. 

With a throbbing head, the Dark Knight opened his eyes. He saw J'onn looking down at him, a concerned look on his face – at least as concerned as a Martian could look like.

"Are you all right?" the Man-hunter asked.

"Fine," he replied, sitting up. "What happened?"

"We're not sure. You and Flash were unconscious when we found you…"

"Where is Flash?"

"He awoke a little earlier than you and went into the kitchen."

Batman nodded slightly.

"I was worried about you earlier, but it seems I had no reason to be."

He looked at the Martian. "What do you mean?"

"Your arm wasn't as injured as I previously thought…"

A little surprised, Batman tightened his hand into a fist, finding no pain in his arm at all.

"You should get some rest," J'onn said. With that, the Martian Man-hunter left the medical room.

Watching the other leave, Batman then pulled off his glove. He was surprised to see it not only un-bandaged, but healed.

He began thinking of a strange dream he had prior to J'onn's voice waking him up. It was just a dream……wasn't it?

_TBC_

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed! Please review! 


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